Maple Poached Pear Pumpkin Pie with Gingersnap Crust is the ultimate holiday pie! Pears are poached in a spiced syrup mixture, then pureed until smooth to match the consistency of the pumpkin puree. The filling is encapsulated by the most amazing, thick gingersnap crust for the most epic pie you've ever had!
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The pumpkin pie you’ve been waiting for is finally here. Thick, cozy, and a little extra—just how the holidays should be. Maple-poached pears give it a subtle twist, but let’s be real: the real star is the gingersnap crust. A crust made entirely of cookies? Impossible to resist. Slice it up and you’ll get that perfect balance of crust to filling in every bite.
Ingredients for Maple Poached Pear Pumpkin Pie
I’m obsessed with poached pears—especially with ice cream—so naturally, I had to sneak them into a pie. They soak up so much flavor while poaching, and then pureeing them until silky smooth (think pumpkin puree vibes) is totally worth the little extra effort. Trust me, it pays off. This is the pumpkin pie for anyone who doesn’t normally love pumpkin. It’s surprisingly light, and the poached pears add this unexpected depth that makes every bite feel a little more special.
Gingersnap Crust
- gingersnap cookies
- brown sugar
- unsalted butter
Pumpkin Pie Filling
- pears
- maple syrup
- water
- cinnamon stick
- cardamom
- pumpkin puree
- eggs
- brown sugar
- ginger
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
- cloves
- salt
- heavy cream
Here's what else you'll need:
- food processor
- 9-inch pie dish or 9-inch tart pan
- medium saucepan
- cutting board and knife
- blender
- large mixing bowl
- whisk
- measuring cups and spoons
How to Make Maple Poached Pear Pumpkin Pie
Ready to make this pie happen? Don’t let the layers fool you—while it looks impressive, it’s actually pretty straightforward. From poaching the pears to that unbeatable gingersnap crust, I’ll walk you through every step so you end up with a pie that’s equal parts cozy, indulgent, and show-stopping.
- Poach pears: Simmer pears with maple, water, cinnamon + cardamom for ~15 min until soft.
- Blend: Puree pears with ¼ cup poaching liquid until smooth; measure 1 cup and cool.
- Make crust: Pulse gingersnaps + sugar, then add butter until sandy.
- Bake crust: Press into 9" pan and bake 12–15 min at 350°F; cool, reduce oven to 325°F.
- Make filling: Whisk pear purée, pumpkin, eggs, sugars + spices, then whisk in cream.
- Bake pie: Pour into crust and bake 40–50 min until center is just set; cool completely.
- Whip cream: Beat heavy cream + powdered sugar until stiff peaks.
- Decorate: Top pie with whipped cream + grated nutmeg and serve.
More Holiday Dessert Recipes
- Apple Spice Ale Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Apple and Brie Galette with Pretzel Walnut Crust
- Mexican Hot Cocoa Pudding (Vegan)
- Apple Cider Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Cream Cheese Butter
- Chai Pumpkin Sticky Toffee Cakes
- Bitchin’ Brownies
- Baked Pumpkin Pudding Cups
View all holiday dessert recipes here
Please let me know how your Maple Poached Pear Pumpkin Pie turns out in the comments below. I can’t wait to hear from you!
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Maple Poached Pear Pumpkin Pie
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
Maple Poached Pear Pumpkin Pie with Gingersnap Crust is the ultimate holiday pie! Pears are poached in a spiced syrup mixture, then pureed until smooth to match the consistency of the pumpkin puree. The filling is encapsulated by the most amazing, thick gingersnap crust for the most epic pie you've ever had!
Ingredients
Pumpkin Pie Filling
- 2 Bartlett pears peeled and cored, then sliced into quarters
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 2 and ½ cups water
- 1 cinnamon stick or ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 10 cardamom pods or 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup heavy cream
Gingersnap Crust
- 8 oz gingersnap cookies (roughly 1.5 cups crumbs)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Whipped Cream (optional)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- fresh grated nutmeg, garnish
Instructions
- Poach the pears: Add the pears, maple syrup, water, cinnamon stick and cardamom pods to a medium saucepan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes or until the pears are softened.
- Blend the poached pears: Transfer the pears to a blender or food processor along with ¼ cup of the remaining syrup from the saucepan. Blend until the pears develop an applesauce consistency. Pour the pear puree into a measuring cup until you have 1 cup of puree. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.
- Make the gingersnap crust: Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch pie dish or 9-inch tart pan with nonstick spray. Add the gingersnap cookies and brown sugar to a food processor and pulse until evenly combined. Pour the melted butter in last then blend until the cookies form crumbs. The consistency should feel like wet sand.
- Bake the gingersnap crust: Pour the crumb mixture into your greased pie dish or tart pan and spread roughly into an even layer. Use a measuring cup to gently push the crumbs to the outer edge. Start in the center of the pan by pushing the measuring cup to flatten the bottom of crust. Work your way to the edges of the pan and try to make the edge an even thickness the whole way around. Bake the crust for 12-15 minutes, then remove and let cool slightly while making the filling. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
- Make the pumpkin filling: In a large mixing bowl whisk together the cooled pear puree, pumpkin puree, eggs and both sugars. Add the spices into the bowl (ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt) then whisk to combine. Finally, add the heavy cream and whisk until smooth.
- Bake the pumpkin pie: Carefully pour the filling into the pre-baked gingersnap pie crust just shy of the top. If you have extra filling, pour it into greased ramekins (they'll bake up like little custards). Bake the pie for 40-50 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven when just the center is barely jiggly. Let the pie cool completely at room temperature.
- Make the whipped cream: While the pie is cooling, place a stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer to chill (this will stabilize the whipped cream). Attach the chilled bowl and whisk to the stand mixer then add the powdered sugar and heavy cream. Start on low speed to prevent splashing, then gradually increase the speed to medium-high. Continue mixing for 4-5 minutes for stiff peaks (I find this holds up longer if making ahead of time).
- Decorate the pumpkin pie: Dollop the whipped cream onto the fully cooled pie and spread using the back of a spoon or an offset spatula. Grate some fresh nutmeg over the top and you're ready to serve. If serving the next day, loosely cover the pie with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature prior to serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Make it ahead: Make this pie the day before you need it and let refrigerate overnight. You can freeze the pie for up to 1 month by covering with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Let thaw at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 75 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop + oven
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 472
- Sugar: 32g
- Sodium: 372mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 59g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 133mg
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